Voting: signature verification.

Plain English Breakdown

The exact timing of when certain provisions will take effect is contingent upon other related bills being enacted and this one being passed last, which introduces some uncertainty.

Voting: Signature Verification

AB-827 modifies deadlines and procedures related to signature verification for vote-by-mail ballots in California elections.

What This Bill Does

• Reduces the time an election official has to notify a voter about a mismatched signature on their mail ballot, depending on whether it's a statewide or other type of election.
• Shortens the period during which voters can verify their signatures after being notified by election officials.
• Allows election officials to use drop boxes for receiving forms used by voters to verify their signatures.
• Requires election officials to add verified signatures from unsigned identification statements to voter registration records for future elections.
• Adjusts the official canvassing process if only ballots needing signature verification remain uncounted.

Who It Names or Affects

• Election officials who must follow new deadlines and procedures.
• Voters whose mail ballots need signature verification.

Terms To Know

Signature Verification

The process of checking a voter's signature on their vote-by-mail ballot envelope against the one in their registration record.

Official Canvass

The formal counting and certification of election results by local officials.

Limits and Unknowns

• Some provisions will only take effect if other related bills are also enacted and this one is passed last.

Official Summary Text

AB 827, Berman.
Voting: signature verification.
(1) Existing law requires an elections official who receives a vote by mail ballot to compare the signature on the identification envelope with the signature in the voter’s registration record. If the signature does not compare, or if the identification envelope is missing the signature, the elections official must provide notice to the voter no later than 8 days before certification of the election of the voter’s opportunity to verify their signature. The voter may verify their signature no later than 5 p.m. 2 days before certification of the election, including, if applicable, by providing their signature on an unsigned identification statement.
This bill would reduce those deadlines for a regularly scheduled statewide election to no later than 14 calendar days after the election for the elections official to provide
notice, and no later than 5 p.m. 22 calendar days after the election for the voter to verify their signature. For an election that is not a regularly scheduled statewide election, the bill would reduce those deadlines to 8 calendar days before certification of the election for the elections official to provide notice, and no later than 5 p.m. 2 calendar days before certification of the election for the voter to verify their signature. The bill would permit an elections official to use a vote by mail ballot drop box to receive the form used by the voter to verify their signature pursuant to these provisions. The bill would require an elections official who receives a completed unsigned identification statement that is not timely submitted to compare the signatures and, if the signatures compare, add the signature to the voter’s registration record for use in future elections.
(2) Existing law requires the official canvass of an election to
commence no later than the Thursday following the election, as specified, and to continue daily, with the exception of Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, for not less than 6 hours each day until completed.
This bill would specify that if the only ballots left to count are those for which a voter has been provided, or will be provided, the opportunity to verify or to provide their signature, and the elections official does not need to conduct the official canvas for at least 6 hours per day in order to meet the deadline for certification of the results, then the canvass may be conducted for fewer than 6 hours per day until completed.
(3) This bill would incorporate additional changes to Section 2194 of the Elections Code proposed by AB 1392 to be operative only if this bill and AB 1392 are enacted and this
bill is enacted last.
The bill would also incorporate additional changes to Section 3019 of the Elections Code proposed by SB 3 to be operative only if this bill and SB 3 are enacted and this bill is enacted last.
(4) By imposing new duties on local elections officials, the bill would create a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions
establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF